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Bhuvneshwar Kumar's Masterful Control Praised by Irfan Pathan in IPL 2026

Irfan Pathan has praised Bhuvneshwar Kumar's masterful control of his wrist position and highly repeatable action. Bhuvneshwar currently leads the IPL 2026 purple cap chart with 21 wickets in 11 games for RCB. He recently became only the second bowler after Yuzvendra Chahal to reach 200 IPL wickets. Pathan highlighted how Bhuvneshwar's consistent action allows him to land the ball precisely where he wants.

Key Points: Bhuvneshwar's Repeatable Action Masterful: Pathan

  • Bhuvneshwar Kumar leads IPL 2026 purple cap with 21 wickets
  • Irfan Pathan praises his repeatable action and wrist control
  • Bhuvneshwar has 219 wickets in 201 IPL matches
  • He is only second bowler to reach 200 IPL wickets after Yuzvendra Chahal
2 min read

IPL 2026: The way Bhuvneshwar manoeuvres his 'highly repeatable action' is masterful, says Irfan Pathan

Irfan Pathan lauds Bhuvneshwar Kumar's repeatable action and wrist control as he leads IPL 2026 purple cap with 21 wickets for RCB.

"The way he manoeuvres his wrist position is masterful, with very little change in seam position - Irfan Pathan"

New Delhi, May 13

Former India bowling all-rounder Irfan Pathan has lauded veteran pacer Bhuvneshwar Kumar's "masterful control" of his wrist position and "repeatable action" for maintaining his technical standards over an Indian Premier League career spanning 16 years. Bhuvneshwar has been a standout performer for Royal Challengers Bengaluru.

The swing king is currently leading the purple cap chart with 21 scalps in 11 games in the 2026 edition of the Indian Premier League (IPL).

"Bhuvneshwar has an amazing and highly repeatable action. He has had a 16-year-long IPL career and hasn't changed his action one bit. When you have the same action for such a long period, you can hit the areas you want to target. At the same time, his wrist position and the way he manoeuvres it is masterful, with very little change in seam position, whether he is bowling the inswinger or moving it away, and all of it with so much control," Pathan said on JioStar.

He produced a match-winning all-round display in Raipur, finishing with exceptional figures of 4-23 before later smashing a crucial six in the final over to help RCB complete a tense chase on the last ball.

"When a bowler is running in at a certain speed, you only get a fraction of a second to react, and he has the ability to land the ball exactly where he wants to with the right fields. That's where experience comes into play," he added.

Bhuvneshwar has taken 219 wickets in 201 IPL matches at an average of 26.17 and an economy rate of 7.67, including two five-wicket hauls and two four-wicket hauls, with his best bowling figures standing at 5/19. Last week, he played his 200th IPL match against Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) at the Ekana Cricket Stadium last week.

Last month, Bhuvneshwar Kumar became only the second bowler to reach the 200-wicket milestone in the IPL, after legspinner Yuzvendra Chahal, who reached it in 2024 and has 229 wickets to date.

Only four other bowlers have taken 200-plus wickets in a T20 competition - all in England's T20 Blast - Danny Briggs (268), Samit Patel (230), Chris Wood (210), and David Payne (210).

- IANS

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Reader Comments

A
Amanda J
I've been following IPL from New York and Bhuvi is one of those rare bowlers who just never go off the boil. 200+ wickets in IPL is no joke. Also great to see Irfan Pathan giving technical insights - he was a swing master himself in his time.
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Priya S
Absolutely brilliant! But 16 years and still not in the Indian team for T20Is? Yaar kya baat hai selection committee ka? Bhuvi is showing he still has gas in the tank. That performance in Raipur - 4-23 and a six in the final over! The man is clutch when it matters most.
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Deepak U
Irfan Pathan knows his swing bowling better than most. What he's saying about the wrist position and seam position is pure gold. Bhuvi doesn't just bowl - he works like a scientist in those 22 yards. His stamina and fitness at 34+ is something young bowlers should learn from. 🏆
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Jessica F
As someone who coaches cricket in the US, I always show Bhuvi's action to my bowlers. It's textbook - repeatable, simple, and effective. The fact that he's leading the purple cap at 36 just shows how smart bowling beats raw pace any day. Masterclass!
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Karthik V
Honestly, Irfan's comments are bang on. But let's also give credit to the RCB management. They backed Bhuvi when others wrote him off, and he's delivering like never before. 21 wickets in 11 games - that's world class. The way he bowled to

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